Ross Valley Storm Drainage Fee Being Put to A Vote
May 8th, 2007 by Ginger Wilcox
If you live in the Ross Valley, you should have received a ballot for the “annual storm drainage fee” for the Ross Valley Flood Protection and Watershed program. This “fee” would apply to homeowners in Flood Control District Zone 9 (Fairfax, Greenbrae, Kentfield, Larkspur, Ross and San Anselmo) . The fee will cover capital improvements to “repair and replace drainage infrastructure, enhance and establish drainage system and floodway maintenance programs” and provide habitat restoration projects.
Owners of condos are expected to pay around $30 per year, while owners of single family homes are expected to pay between $125-180 per year. The fee is capped out at $180 for residential and $6,000 per year for commercial. If there is a simple majority yes vote, the fee will take effect in 2008. If the fee is adopted, an annual hearing will take place to determine the fee for the following year. The is limited to a maximum of 3% per year and will end in 20 years.
So, is this tax good? This tax is critical to Ross Valley residents and Marin County. The economy of our community could be destroyed by a bad flood. Businesses and residences will be destroyed. Lives could be lost. Vital services could be damaged. The vitality of our local communities could disappear, causing home values to plummet. Schools could be closed for extended periods of time, impacting our children’s education. Residents who live in Flood Zone 9 whose homes have not flooded may not feel like they should have to pay the tax. My home is not in the path of potential floods but I believe my property contributes run off which is part of the problem. I believe everyone in the district should contribute to resolving improving flood protection for the area.
This program will preserve our community, its economy, residents, businesses and schools. Even if your specific home does not flood, you will still be impacted in some way.
For more information on the tax, visit:
The Ross Valley Storm Drainage Fee is Not For Everyone
The storm drainage fee to fund the Ross Valley Flood Protection and Watershed Program is a good idea to help mitigate the damage caused by flooding to the low lying areas in Flood Zone 9. However, it is not appropriate to ask that the fee would be paid by all homeowners in the area.
Many homes in Flood Zone 9 are on hillsides and are not impacted by flooding. The homes covering the hillsides are more likely to be impacted by landslides than they would be to flooding. The storm drainage fee would do little, if anything, to benefit homeowners living on the hillsides.
The benefits of the program would inure to those living in the flood zone. If the residents and businesses located in the flood zone are interested in reducing the impact of future floods, they should look to raise funds among themselves to implement a flood control program.
To suggest a program that only benefits those living in the flood zone is an inequitable proposal. It would be like having the homeowners and businesses located on the hillsides suggesting that everyone contribute to a program for hillside drainage and retention walls to prevent landslides.
The Ross Valley Flood Protection and Watershed Program is a good idea, but another way needs to be found to pay for it.